Sinker



(No Model.)

J. VASSEUR.

SINKBR'. FLOAT, AND HANDLE.

110.419.57 1. P41411164 Jan. 14,1890.

UNITED STATES PATE T OFFICE.

JOSEPH VASSEUR, OF ONTONAGON, MICHIGAN.

SINKER, FLOAT, .AND HANDL'E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 419,574, dated January 14, 1890.

Application filed April 17, 1889- To alt whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J osEPH VASSEUR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ontonagon, in the county of Ontonagon and State of Michigan, have invented new and useful Improvements in Sinkers, Floats, and Handles, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in sinkers for nets, fishing-lines, 850., having for its object to provide a simple cheap device which may be applied to any point of the line without handling either end; and, furthermore, to provide a sinker having means for securing the cord, whereby the latter may be passed straight through without doubling or tying.

The invention consists in a sinker composed of two sections connected by a dovetailed joint, the inner or meeting face of one of the sections being .grooved to receive the cord; and, furthermore, the invention consists in certain novel details of construction, fully described hereinafter in connection with the drawings and specifically pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a sinker embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a similar view with the parts or sections detached. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view.

Similar letters of reference denote corre-.

sponding parts in all the figures.

The shape of the improved sinker is immaterial, as this may be altered to suit the particular use to which it is to be applied; but I prefer an elongated, symmetrical, rounded form, enlarged at its center and tapered toward its extremities.

The sinker is divided axially, or on a plane parallel with the axis, to form the semi-cylindrical sections A A, and the meeting faces of the said sections are provided, respectively, with a dovetailed groove B and a similarly shaped rib C to fit in the said groove. By means of this dovetailed joint or connection the independent sections of the sinker are firmly secured together. The meeting face of one of the sections, preferably the section bearing the rib, is further provided with a longitudinal central groove or bore D, in which is adapted to fit the cord which is shown at E in the drawings.

Serial No. 307,606. (No model.)

After separating the sections of the sinker the cord is stretched in the groove or bore provided for its reception, and the sections are fitted together by sliding the dovetailed rib into the similarly-shaped groove until the corresponding ends of the sections are flush. The cord is designed to fit snugly in the groove or bore when dry, so that when wet it will swell and fit tightly therein, and thereby obviate the danger of slipping and thereby becoming displaced.

It will be seen that the improved sinker may be applied to any point of the line in a moment. It may be adjusted longitudinally thereon by simply detaching the sections, and the cord passes directly through the axial center of the sinker and is held in place without bending, twisting, wrapping, or knotting. It will also be understood that my invention is applicable to other devices, although I have herein described it only in connection with sinkers for nets, fishing-lines, and the like. For instance, if the body of the device is made of some light buoyant material, as cork,

wood, &c., it may be used as a float for nets, lines, and the like; also, the invention is applicable to handles of buckets, pails, skipping-ropes, doc.

It will be seen by the peculiar construct-ion of the sinker that it can be made of the cheapest of cast-iron, and canbe galvanized to prevent rusting.

' The cord, when snug in the groove, will keep the two sections in place, and also when thecord is wet it will swell and further prevent the two sections from sliding and falling apart. The groove may be on any part of the joint or meetingface of either section in the center or near the outer edge of the sinker.

Having thus described the invention, I claim 1. A device formed in independent longitudinal sections, one of which has alongitudinally-disposed tenon with locking sides and the other correspondingly mortised to interlock said parts, one of said sections having a longitudinal bore for the insertion and retention of cords, rope, wire, and like articles, substantially as specified.

2. A device formed in two independent longitudinal sections, one of which is provided with a longitudinally-disposed dovetail recess and the other with an interlocking corresponding rib and with a longitudinal bore adapted for the reception of cords, rope, wire, and other similar articles, substantially as specified.

3. A device formed in independent 1ongitudinal sections adapted to interlock longi- 1 tudinally, and provided with a longitudinal bore for the reception of cords, wire, rope, and

other similar articles, substantially as speci- 4. A device formed in independent longitudinal sections, one of which is provided with a longitudinal bore for the reception of cords, rope, wire, and other similar articles, and means for forming a sliding connection with the sections, substantially as specified.

JOSEPH VASSEUR.

\Vitnesses:

M. A. PowERs, L. D. MITCHELL. 

